Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 12, 1990 TAG: 9008080199
SECTION: PARENTS' GUIDE PAGE: 13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Sara Cox
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Dr. John Ogburn of Pediatric Associates of Blacksburg subscribes to this approach. "It should be more of a playtime - certainly playing and activities with age-appropriate developmental levels. Structure activities to meet the levels. Don't push children to maximize their skills," he suggested.
"My feeling is it's best not to push children to achieve extremely early, but to make it fun. Eighteen-month olds don't interact real well. In the 2s they truly start."
The Blacksburg Parks and Recreation Department offers a wide array of what Ogburn calls "amplified play time" - Romp and Stomp for 16 to 24-month olds, which is a lot of freeplay, and songs and activities to "help stimulate body awareness," said Terri Kirk, program supervisor.
Additionally, they offer "Energy Outlet for Two's," which is similar to Romp and Stomp; "Tot Art" for ages 3, 4 and 5, a playtime with different colors, shapes and sizes, as well as stories and songs; "Tot Gym," a movement program for ages 3 through 5; "Beginning Cheerleading"for ages 4 and 5; "Creative Puppetry," where children make puppets and marionettes, learn creative expression and different voices; and gym and tumbling classes.
Montgomery and Roanoke counties' parks and recreation departments change their program offerings quarterly, often increasing the choice to school-age children during the summer.
Supervisor of Leisure Arts for Roanoke County Parks and Recreation, Betty Robertson, said that currently being offered are a preschool art class to make mobiles - "Dragonflies, Ants and Bugs," - and a "Nature Tots" class to children 5 and under.
Although their slate of activities for this age group is slim, she said that more classes for 2-year-olds they will be setting up this fall. There are also swim classes available, starting with infants, although some pediatricians are hesitant to recommend infant swimming lessons.
"A lot of 1 1/2- to 2-year-olds have fear of the water," said Ogburn. "Infants may do OK with [swimming] based on instinctual things, but past six months, they have a little more fear of the water."
Dr. Douglas Althouse of Roanoke's Pediatric Associates said that children younger than 3 or 4 cannot be made water-safe, and that infants given swim lessons may be exposed to bacteria from other diapered babies. Infants can also get water intoxication, resulting in convulsions, if their head is dumped under water and they swallow too much water.
With that in mind, Roanoke City Recreation Supervisor Owen Grogan said his department has a "Learn To Swim" summer program for all ages, offered in cooperation with the American Red Cross and given at Fallon and Washington parks. The Roanoke Central YMCA offers swim lessons year round, starting with "Skippers I" for 6 months to 3-year-olds, up to "Guppy" for 6 years and older.
But if formal classes are not on a parent's schedule, any type of family outdoor activity sets a good example and starts children exercising at an early age. For instance, introduce children to sports that they can keep on enjoying throughout their life.
A recent article by columnist Jane Brody, "Children follow fitness habits of parents," said that studies indicate that as parents discover fitness later in life, their children are becoming increasingly out of shape.
"Children over 11 have become heavier, and not just more muscular but also fatter. And the percentage of youngsters who can satisfactorily complete the four components of a fitness test - strength, flexibility and muscular and cardiovascular endurance - has declined from 43 percent to 32 percent," she wrote.
Suggestions of how to counteract this tendency followed in a New York Times article, "How to encourage exercise." They include parents routinely spending outdoor, physical playtime with toddlers; not using television to keep children occupied; encouraging children to play outdoors after school; having a wide variety of activities for children to choose to keep from becoming easily bored; and encouraging activities that promote fitness.
Ogburn pointed out that just because school children take physical education in school does not mean that they are doing regular exercise. And according to Althouse, self-esteem is intertwined with extracurricular activities. "It's a good idea for their social development."
However, he said, three extra activities a week is plenty, as some parents tend to push their children too fast. "Self-esteem is very important in school-age children. It carries over into academic work."
Parks in the area offer plenty of opportunity for family-based activities. Parks Planner Lynn Vernon said that Roanoke has 35 parks "that have some sort or another of play equipment in them."
The city is in its third phase of a park improvement program done through city bond issues and state grants. In 1990, Wasena Park, Norwich Park and Jackson Park are getting new play areas, consisting of wooden platform play structures that include a swaying bridge, spiral and straight slides, swings, arch climbers and fireman's poles. Merry-go-rounds are not being put in any longer, Vernon said. As a matter of fact, they are being replaced with safer play equipment.
Next year, he said, Huff Lane Park, Thrasher Park and Garden City Recreation Center are scheduled for improvements.
by CNB